Pedersen pushes United back into the pack

No Roy Keane, no Gary Neville, no Gabriel Heinze. More to the point: nothing to convince anyone that the Premiership title will be heading to Old Trafford this season. Where Chelsea are able consistently to sneak victory, United can only create and miss. Here they struggled until Wayne Rooney was, finally, introduced. But even then Blackburn were just far better at converting - as Morten Gamst Pedersen's 81st-minute winner proved.

With no goals since Ruud van Nistelrooy's strike in the Manchester derby a fortnight ago it was no surprise that Sir Alex Ferguson should, in his programme notes, have a grumble at referees, reckoning they had ignored 'five decent penalty claims so far this season'. Yet, when he stated that this lack of boldness from officials was partly responsible for the current Premiership malaise and then left Rooney on the bench, he seemed to indicate his own reluctance to take the initiative.

His decision looked even more questionable by half-time. United might have scored five, but lacked conviction. Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alan Smith and Van Nistelrooy all had chances in an entertaining opening half-hour. But after the Holland striker missed the easiest - a blast over after 21 minutes - his side began to look clumsy.

And then Blackburn scored. Edwin van der Sar had looked safe in United's goal, with one outstanding point-blank parry from Paul Dickov's header moments before Van Nistelrooy's miss. But when Pedersen swung in a free-kick after 32 minutes a host of United defenders failed to clear and the Dutch keeper was left stationary and watching the ball roll into the net.

United may have felt cheated to be behind at the break, but it had been a display reminiscent of last season when Ferguson spent much of the nine months bewailing missed chances.

This campaign, he had promised, would be different. Yet after the restart the carelessness continued. Just a minute had passed when Scholes - sluggish and unconvincing throughout - again should have scored but was unable to beat Brad Friedel from close range.

That was enough to persuade Ferguson that Rooney should take his tracksuit off, but not to make the switch from 4-3-3 to the beloved 4-4-2 that many irate United fans were screaming for.

Blackburn did not yet look concerned, though, creating little and yet appearing as likely to score the second goal as their opponents. One neat reverse free-kick from Robbie Savage on the hour again catching United's defence slumbering.

But finally Rooney - who could not have been rested by Ferguson for Benfica's visit on Tuesday as he is suspended - made his point. The England striker drifted off his defender, discovered space and ball and then shot. Friedel spilled and Van Nistelrooy followed up.

This brought a relieved Old Trafford to its feet and Ferguson to pitch-side for the first time. Scholes, though, capped a miserable display by himself and his team. Michael Gray dispossessed him just outside the area, slipped the ball inside and Pedersen collected and smashed home convincingly.